Meet Mary Pleasant, Mother of Civil Rights in California

MEET MARY PLEASANT is a one-hour unique 'performance documentary,' a colorful look at the unsung and daring 19th-century African-American activist/entrepreneur Mary Ellen Pleasant, now called 'The Mother of Civil Rights in CA.' Pleasant was a 19th-century Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks combined, and she changed modern day civil rights law. This colorful film interweaves an acclaimed one-woman enactment with beautiful photo montages and expert commentary punctuated by live re-enactments and song. Acclaimed actress Ruby Dee narrates. It's entertaining history for the entire family. This has proved a winning combination -- The film has won both national and international film festival awards (see listing below)

Pleasant is the hidden person behind many key aspects of our 19th century American history as well -- slavery, abolition, the gold rush, John Brown, early civil rights, reconstruction, so the story is a sweeping saga. Pleasant could love across boundaries of race and class without losing sight of her goal of equality for herself and her people, so hers is a healing and inspiring story for us all -- an American story. It's worth meeting Mary Pleasant.Film Trailer and Website: www.mepleasant.com (click the film tab). Photos on Facebook, Press kit on Withoutabox.com.

Televised Broadcasts:Public Broadcasting stations throughout the US in all major markets 2008, 2009, Washington, DC, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Detroit included

Reviews:The Oakland Post, Oakland, CA OCT 07, The West End Word, St. Louis JULY 08

Cast:Ruby Dee, Susheel Bibbs, Ray Tatar, Mark Standriff

Awards:AWARDS--Best Historical Documentary: New York International Independent Film
Festival in LA 07, Best Documentary (Peace Reel Medallion), Berkeley Film Festival 07, Finalist ribbon Hollywood Black Film Festival, Beverly Hills, Best Director of a Documentary: Susheel Bibbs, MEET MARY PLEASANT, The New York International Independent Film Festival in New York 08

Film Festivals:Cannes Film Festival, May 08, The New York International Film and Video Festival AUG 07 in Hollywood, FEB 08 in New York, The Berkeley Film Festival OCT 07, The Hollywood Black Film Festival JUNE 08, The Missouri History Museum Film Series JUNE 08, The After Dark Film Festival of the African Marketplace in Los Angeles AUG 08